Edmund l



(No Model.)

B. L. ZALINSKI.

PROJECTILE.

No. 384,663. 8 Patented June 19, 1888.

WITNESSES. IJV'V'EJVTOR,

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circuit through the walls of the shell.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND L. ZALINSKI, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

PROJECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,663, dated June19,1888.

(No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND L. ZALINSKI, of the United States Army,stationed at Fort Hamilton, New York, have-invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Projectiles and Fuses,of which the following is aspecifica tion, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to projectiles and fuses for projectiles of aparticular class, as will be hereinafter described.

The object of the invention is to provide a pro ectile with a fuse whichwill be fired by the detachment of a guiding tail or spindle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of aprojectile of the character described, showing generally the arrangementof the fuse or fuses with respect to the spindle. Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail of part of the same figure. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic detailillustrating the connections for a percussion-fuse; and Fig. 4, asimilar detail of an electric arse; operated according to the generalprinciples of this invention.

The numeral 1 indicates the body of ashell provided with a collapsiblepoint, 2, and interlor plate, 3,after the manner of another of myinventions, and forming no special part of my present invention exceptto show suitable connections.

An electric fuse, 4-, is secured in the base 5 of the shell. One wire,7, of the fuse 4 has its circuit throughadetonator,(indicated at 6,)which detonator may be at any point in the shell, as is usual with fusesof this class. The other wire,70,is connected to a pin, 8, which isnormally pressed by springs 9 toward the socket 50, into which thespindle of the shell extends.

The pin 8 has a collar, 10, which, when the pin is pressed inward, willcome in contact with plate 11, thus grounding or closing The pin 10isotherwise insulated from the socket 50 of base-piece 5 and from thespring 9.

The spindle 51,which has the spiral feather 52 thereon, screws into thesocket 50. When it is screwed into the socket,it serves to press out thepin 8, which carries collar 10, and keeps collar 10 out of contact withplate 11. When the spindle 51 is unscrewed from its soeket,the pin 8 canmove into the socket and so close circuit through thebattery-connections and detonator. The socket 50 has another spring-pin,20, passing through its walls. This pin is pressed inward by spring 21when not held out by the spindle 51. The end of pin 20, when the pin isforced out, is in the line of movement of collar 22, borne on rod 23, soas to slide longitudinally thereon. The rod 23 is keyed or otherwisefastened (as by solder) to base 24:, which screws into a re cess in thebase 5 at such distance from the spindle'socket that thepin 20,wheuforced out by the spindle, shall project into the path of movement ofsliding collar 22; but when pressed in by its spring the pin 20 will beout of the way of said collar.

The nut 25 serves as a means of turning in and turning out the plug 24-,which is the support of this percussion-fuse. The rod 23 carries at itsfront end a head, 27,which has seats for a number of detonatingcartridges, 28.

A spring, 29, serves to press the collar or striker 22 toward thedetonatingcartridges.

When the spindle 51 is in its socket, the pin 20 will be pressed outagainst the force of its spring 21. If now the percussion-fuse bescrewed into the base of the shell, the head 27 will pass the point ofthe pin 20; but the collar 22, being of greater diameter, will beengaged by said pin and will be held, the collar pressing back on spring29 and placing the latter under compression. \Vhen the spindle 51 screwsout of socket 50, the pin 20 willbe free to move inward under thepressure of the spring 21, which pin will thus act as a trigger torelease the sliding collar 22. This collar 22, impelled by the spring29, flies forward and acts as a hammer to fire the cartridges 28.

The spindle 51 may have its screw-threaded part 5 which enters thesocket 50, threaded in either direction; but the vanes 52 will havetheir pitch in the opposite direction. It is desirable, however, thatthe spiral vanes 52 have such pitch as to cause the projectile while inits flight to have the usual rifled movement with the sun. The pressureof the air on the vanes will turn the spindle and this turns theprojectile on its axis, the first tendency being to screw in thethreaded part 54: of the spindle into its socket.

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When the projectile, having a rapid rotary motion, falls into water,'theresistance of the water will prevent the rotation of the vanes 52 andspindle 51, while the body part 1 will by its own inertia continne torevolve, the surface being smooth and offering little .frictionalresistance. This will unscrew the spindle 51, and as this spindle movesback in its socket thev pins 8 and 21 are pressed into the socket, theone closing circuit through the battery 4t and the other permitting thefall of the hammer 22-.

It will be understood that other mechanisms than a screw-thread may beused 'to retain the spindle 51 in its socket. The salient idea of thisinvention is that the detaching of the tail or spindle of the projectileserves to operate the trigger of a detonating or electric primer. It isalso obvious that the spring-pins or triggers 8 and have many mechanicalequivalents. The firing-detonators may operate as time-fuses inwell-known manner so that the explosion of the shell takes place at anyrequired time afterthe detachment of the tail or spindle. V

The spiral vanes on the spindle are the invention of another. I do notclaimthem.

The guiding-spindle when detached offers no further resistance to theprogress of the head 1 of the shell through the water. Consequently theshell will have increased range under water.

I do not make specific claims on the precise mechanism presented, as Ihave devised several modifications thereof. In this application I desireto cover the generic invention.

WVhat I claim is- 1. The combination, with a projectile,of a detachableguiding-spindle, and a fuse orprimer having an operating-trigger inposition to be engaged by said spindle, substantially as described. I

2. The combination, with a shell, of a detachableguidingspindle, andapercussion-detonator in the shell and connected with said spindle.

3. The combination, with a shell, of a detaehable guiding-spindle, adetent engaged thereby, and a percussion-detonator held in cookedposition by said detent.

4. The combination, with a shell, of a de tachable guiding-spindle, adetent or trigger engaged thereby, and a spring-actuated detonatorwherein the spring is held under compression by said detent but,released to fire the charge when the guiding-spindle is detached, as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND L. ZALINSKI.

Witnesses:

PHILIP MAURO, W. A. BARTLETT.

